Sorry about the confusion; iconic hillside landmark not for sale

The iconic roadside attraction Campbell Bros. Confusion Hill is not for sale, despite rumors caused by a For Sale sign at a neighboring property, the owners say.

"There is a For Sale sign outside, but it's not for us," said owner Carol Campbell. "If someone was interested in buying the property, we wouldn't mind talking to them, but right now we have no official plans to sell."

Carol Campbell, who owns the tourist stop located off U.S. Highway 101 just outside Piercy with her husband Doug Campbell, explained that the sign appears to be for a strip of property adjacent to Confusion Hill.

A call to People's Real Estate, the Garberville real estate company apparently listing the property, was not returned.

Although the couple doesn't have official plans to sell the property they've called home for 13 years, Doug Campbell said business has been slow since Caltrans completed the Confusion Hill bypass in 2009. Drivers are now routed away from Confusion Hill, and on to two bridges spanning the Eel River. Doug Campbell said he is glad drivers are safer -- Confusion Hill was prone to rock and mudslides -- but his business has suffered from the change.

"When they built those bridges, the whole concept was to speed up traffic flow," Doug Campbell said. "Unfortunately, they have accomplished that. There is just no way to replace the spontaneity of the people who drove past and decided they had to stop. That little bit of extra effort people have to make now -- we are definitely feeling it."

Doug Campbell said the winter season has been especially bad.

"We'd love to see some folks out here in the winter," he said. "It's kind of been lonesome for us. We are going to keep hanging in here, but we may have to take a closer look in a couple more years."